Easton grad makes music for 'Identity Thief'

Former Easton resident Christopher Lennertz has composed the score for a number of comedies including "Horrible Bosses," "Alvin and the Chipmunks" and "Hop." His latest laughfest, "Identify Thief," proved to be one of the most challenging assignments of his career.

"There's so many elements with this film," Lennertz says. "It's funny and it's a road movie and, by the end, you feel quite a bit of emotion for the characters. And all of that has to be expressed musically."

In "Identity Thief," "Bridesmaids" star Melissa McCarthy plays a con artist who makes life a living hell for Sandy (Jason Bateman) before — and after — he discovers she's stolen his identity and ruined his credit rating.

Not only did Lennertz get to break out the harmonica and slide guitar for the scenes in which the pair drive through the South, but he also came up with distinctive themes for all three of the main characters — McCarthy, Bateman and a skiptracer played by Robert Patrick.

Since McCarthy portrays such a sassy character, Lennertz decided to give her theme a Motown edge. He hired Earth, Wind & Fire keyboardist Myron McKinley to add electric piano flourishes to her scenes.

"Melissa's character is a very strong-willed woman, so we wanted to give her a powerful sound," says Lennertz, a Boston native who moved to Easton when he was 4 years old with his parents, Jim, a political science professor at Lafayette College, and Josephine.

The music softens by the end of the movie when McCarthy's character exposes a more vulnerable side. "Much like John Belushi or John Candy or Will Ferrell, Melissa will do anything to get laughs," says Lennertz, a graduate of Easton High School, class of 1990.

"But she also reveals her dramatic chops. She has two scenes that are going to make people cry. She has so much range, it's unbelievable."

Lennertz knows something about versatility. While he tends to score comedies for the big screen, his TV work ("Supernatural," J.J. Abrams' post-apocalyptic thriller "Revolution") is a bit more spooky. When he scores video games like "Mass Effect 3" and "Starhawk," he's all about the action.

"If I could only do one type of score, I'd get bored out of my mind," he says from his home in Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife and 4-year-old daughter. "But when I get a call about doing something totally different, it really sparks me creatively and gives me a push of adrenaline … My style is to have a lot of styles."

In addition to preparing for the May birth of his second child, Lennertz will put the finishing touches on the scores for two more 2013 movies: "Thanks For Sharing," a rehab dramedy with Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim Robbins, Mark Ruffalo and Doylestown's Pink, and "As Cool As I Am," a coming-of-age comedy with Sarah Bolger, Claire Danes and James Marsden.